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Emily Brighton was looking up at the huge makeshift walls of a community she was now a part of. It had been about…three months since she was first brought here, most of the people being from groups that had been destroyed or people who had just escaped the communities they used to be a part of. She had actually been a part of a community, called Westbrook, in southern Topeka. It was pretty strange how it fell apart after three years of functioning properly. She personally thought it had something to do with defense, and that’s how the dead got in and killed everyone, but herself and someone else, a young boy named David. Weeks later, Emily was scavenging one day, hoping to find any number of things they could use, people from the Crane community had she had to go through several tests in order to be brought back to the community, and even then, she had to stay in a tent for a while until she was trusted enough by the other members to live in one of the cabins. It seemed strange to her how the community, the one with the crane, was seemingly nameless. Whenever someone referred to it, they called it the Crane, which was likely talking more technically about the crane itself, where the leader, Neil Ford lived and several other people whom could be considered ‘’important.’’ The walls surrounding the community were about twelve feet in height, made of various woods and metals, picked from different places and bolted together. There were also the layers of cement placed around the entire fence’s structure to keep the walls in place. Emily liked to look at the sunset from over the tops of the barrier, she thought it looked nice, as if it made the day last longer, keeping the sun in place. Her eyes fixed on the purple and orange sunlight. “Hey, Emily, can you come here?”A familiar voice said. Reluctantly tearing her eyes from the beauty above, she turns around and sees Eric Lobe, a man who lives in the same cabin as her and some other people. “What’s up, Eric?” she asks. “Look, I know it’s your day off and all, but um…Neil wants to see you.” He responds. What would Neil want with her? They never talk outside of setting up runs, and even then, it was strictly work-based. They didn’t dislike each other, they just had work to do and they shared the belief of getting a job done before chit chat. “Er..alright, thanks Eric.” She says, nodding and making her way to the paved walkway leading to the large crane, Brutus. She made her way up the railing and into the entrance, where she was greeted by the woman at the makeshift desk, Abby, she remembered. She served as some sort of secretary, checking in and out weapons and tools people used. They exchanged greetings and Emily went on her way to the leader’s office. There were little maps taped onto each staircase, telling you were a room was and its purpose. She followed the way through the cold, metallic hallway to the little tile floored room with an oak desk in the center, with a doorway leading to the operator’s chair. “Must have taken fucking forever to get that desk in here,” Emily thought to herself. Neil looks up from some paper on his desk to her. "Emily thanks for coming.” “Yeah, I wasn’t doing anything anyway.” “I know this is a personal question, but…have you killed anyone?” Neil asks, not wasting any more time and looking Emily dead in the eyes. A year and a half ago, she wouldn't be as calm as she was now, she’d be freaking out, but that was then so she simply responded. “Yes.” “I knew it. Most of us have, you know. It’s strange how it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal now, murder. But I need to ask you something; are you willing to kill for the community? ” Neil asks the question with a smile on his face. It was a fake smile, something that people wore frequently in the old world. Emily didn't answer his question right away. “Right, well, I guess I could tell you who I killed,” he got out of his chair and motioned for Emily to get out of hers, once she had done so, she was brought into the operating room where she could see the sunset’s dying light reflect on the body of water just beyond the fence. “There, I took him to that lake thing, beat the shit out of him and I drowned him. He had killed someone from the early days, one of the original citizens, Zeke, Smart guy, real smart guy. I let him turn just so I could kill him again. He’s still there, I think. Unless the winters froze him to the point where he don’t function anymore, but I took some bricks and I shoved them in his stomach and down he went.” He finished, laughing with bitterness in his voice. “Where are you getting at?” Emily asks back. “I killed that piece of shit because he was threatening the community, or what was there of it at the time. I felt the need to protect the people. And, it was a lot easier than I expected. I need to know if you’re truly willing to kill people in order to protect us. I need to know your answer before I tell you anything else. Emily thought to herself for a moment, she had indeed killed someone before, and it was not hard at all. It was a necessity. “Yes,” She answers finally. “Alright, sit back down please.” They both take their seats and he passes her some papers describing what seems to be a community. “So you want me to kill these people?” she asks, confused. “No. I need you to kill the people working for the community. They have people living in buildings miles away from the actual community. They’re expanding. Eventually, they’ll get into the area we intend to expand into. Kill the people in the houses before they learn about us, buy us some time.” He says. “Huh, alright, I can do that. Two questions, though. Why me,” Emily asks. “Because quite simply, you are the best choice, various progress reports tell me that you have what it takes to do this. Courage, lack of fear, and I’m guessing a lack of sympathy.” Neil smiles back at her. “I won’t argue you on that. And will I be doing this alone?” “Oh no, we have some people already picked out. The one that comes to the top of my head is actually Sean Henderson. You’re going to be leading the charge, they’ve got your back.” Neil says. Emily sits back in her chair, slack jawed. “These people, do they import goods they find to the community, like food?” Neil nods. “So will we be starving them, or weakening them?” Neil shrugs. “That would be a bonus, we could use the supplies.” “Alright then, I’ll do it, but I want to be able to carry my scythe.” Emily bargains. “I suppose you would have earned it by then.” He agrees. After bidding each other goodbye, Emily leaves the crane and walks towards her cabin, and walks in. Her plan was finally set into motion.